Thomas Clopton Rees

Thomas Clopton Rees

1829-1893

Thomas Clopton Rees

Martha Olivia Kimbrough (2nd wife)

Thomas Clopton Rees was my maternal great great grandfather, the son of James Rees and Rebecca Mathews Smith. He was born in Jasper County near Clinton, GA on June 8, 1829. The family moved frequently due to his father's occupation as a minister. By the early 1840's the family had settled in Muscogee County on Hamilton Road (now Veteran's Parkway) near present day Northside High School. The Rees family owned a farm in the community and as Thomas grew into manhood he continued to farm. On November 29, 1855 he married Martha Minerva Kimbrough, the daughter of William B. Kimbrough and Jane Ann Nutt.  They settled near Martha's grandmother Sarah Stallings Kimbrough the widow of Thomas Kimbrough.  There were a variety of neighbors with diverse occupations living near the Rees and Kimbrough families. Larkin Davidson, a lawyer and farmer was the Rees's closest neighbor. Edward Beers, a tailor, Charles Blake, a teacher, Jacob Hugh, a dentist and David Dean, a dentist also lived in the community. Wiley Cannon, John Murrain and James Moon were farmers in the area. (1850 U.S. Federal Census, Muscogee County, GA)
In the mid 1850's with several Baptist churches already in the area, Methodists  decided to build a church. The church, located about eight miles from Columbus, was built on land owned by Benjamin A. Clark, who later deeded the land the church stood on. One third of the church was set aside for enslaved people, so they could attend worship. Dr. Lovick Pierce dedicated the church on the second Sunday of August 1855, giving the members "a spiritual feast of nearly three hours."  After Thomas and Minerva married, they began attending Pierce Chapel along with his youngest brother Joseph. In 1861, on the deed of Pierce Chapel Methodist Church Thomas Rees was listed as a Trustee.  (Louise Calhoun Barfield, The History of Harris County, Georgia, 1827-1961, {Columbus, Ga, Columbus Printing Co., 1961} p.395) 

The 1860's were destined to bring drastic changes to the small rural community. Following the secession of 1861, Georgia governor Joe E. Brown called for volunteers, set up munitions factories, seized the Federal mint at Dahlonega, and made it illegal to distill grain into liquor. The Georgia Legislature authorized one million dollars to raise an army and prepare for war. (one million dollars into today's currency would be worth approximately thirty two million dollars). Though Georgians rushed to enlist,  clothing, weapons and essential equipment were already in short supply.  (John H. Martin, Columbus, Georgia, From It's Selection as a Trading Town in 1827 to It's Partial Destruction by Wilson's Raiders in 1865,  Georgia Genealogical Reprints, 1972)      

All of Thomas's brothers enlisted in the war, only the youngest, Joseph died (1862). Thomas Rees only has limited participation in the war. he enlisted in John Pemberton's Company, Muscogee Calvary on July 13, 1863. The purpose of this calvary unit was to provide local defense within a hundred mile radius of Columbus, Georgia. He served a short time in Atlanta and mustered out there on February 4, 1864. 

The economy, though stable in 1860, was unable to bear the financial pressures the war brought. Georgia tried to finance the war with bonds and treasury notes, but it was insufficient, and inflation was soon running rampant. Food prices soared and clothing prices were exorbitant. 
Martha Minerva Kimbrough died on December 17, 1864. She was buried in the Pierce Chapel Cemetery. Thomas Rees was left with four young children. 

On December 18, 1865, Thomas married Martha Olivia Kimbrough, Martha Minerva's first cousin. Martha Olivia was the daughter of Archibald Malachi Kimbrough and Nancy Dickerson. 

The war brought severe financial problems to the Rees family. Thomas continued to farm but stayed deeply in debt to the large cotton brokers in Columbus. He ventured into politics in the 1870's and became a local judge in the Nances community. He was active in the Democratic Party and ran for Tax Receiver of Muscogee County in 1874. (Columbus Daily Enquirer, December 9, 1874, p.4) 

Thomas Rees died on February 6, 1893. The last twenty years of his life had been a financial struggle. Fourteen children and ever decreasing farm land on which to grow crops were certainly a heavy burden. His obituary stated that he "reared a large family and bequeathed them something better than wealth-a good name and religious impress on every child." (Columbus Daily Enquirer-Sun, February 8, 1893, 4.)

Martha Olivia developed heart problems and died in her home on February 1, 1902. Thomas and Martha are buried in the Pierce Chapel Methodist cemetery along with many of their children.

 

Children of Thomas and Martha Minerva Kimbrough Rees:

1) Cora Rees 1857-1935 
    m. Albert Pitner

2) Annie  Rees 1859-1945
    m. Jeremiah Griffin Gray

3) Raiford Kimbrough Rees 1861-1898
    
4) Suda Ella Rees 1863-1864

5) Thomas Matt Rees 1864-1943
    m. Virginia Clark
 

Children of Thomas and Martha Olivia Kimbrough Rees:

1) Archibald Tulian Rees 1868-1945

    m. Eddie Bowden

2) James Clement Rees 1870-1949

    m. Mary Lucille Dodd

3) Vara Rosco Rees 1873-1901

4) Henry Butler Rees 1875-1963

    m. Gussie Olive Gibson

5) Rev. Albert William Rees 1877-1955

    m. Augusta Lee

6) Erin Maude Rees 1882-1901

7) Thaddeus Lawson Rees 1883-1948

    m. Irene Lester Daniels

8) Griffin Gray Rees 1886-1948

    m. Mary Hogan

9) Marvin M. Rees 1889-1966

Thomas Clopton Rees

Martha Olivia Kimbrough Rees

Martha Minerva Kimbrough

The Sad Story of Jeremiah "Jerry" Jackson Dumas

My great great grandmother Martha Frances and Jeremiah Jackson were the youngest children of Moses and Frances Hendley Dumas (Monroe County, GA). Soon after Marcus* enlisted and traveled to Beaulieu at Savannah he received news that Jerry’s wife had died. As I transcribed the letters from 1862, I read this piece of information with surprise. In all of the research and information gathered on the Dumas family, this information had never been revealed. As I continued to transcribe the 1862 letters, I read that Jerry had died. I immediately began to try and find out what had happened to Jerry and his wife. Along with the Civil War letters I had received, there were many letters   from other members of the family. I found several letters Jerry had written to Marcus and Mattie and even one that he had written to his father. Several of the letters were written before the Civil War. Jerry worked for grocers George and James Thompson in Perry, GA. Though only 21, Jerry was an ambitious young man. In letters written from 1860 to 1862, he revealed his plans and hopes for the future with continuing worries about the political battles between the Northern and Southern states. While he was working as a clerk, he had stated in an 1860 letter to Mattie and Mark (Marcus) he was planning to go to Ft. Gaines and go into the grocery business with Mark. (Mark and Mattie were living in Ft. Gaines and Mark was teaching school). Probably because of the uncertainty of the times, this venture never got off the ground.  Jerry continued to live and work in Perry and in a letter dated June 19, 1861  Jerry  wrote “I can not write you a lengthy letter this morning and a little to each will be included in one as my time is entirely occupied with my business together with the arrangements I am making arrangements for my marriage and from experience you both can very well imagine my condition. I would be delighted if I could have some of my relatives present at the time but I suppose it will be inconvenient besides we are most satisfied owing to the times at having to go to the unnecessary expense of providing refreshments for a large collection. We therefore concluded that we would be married in the morning on the 27^th inst having only a few of her nearest relatives to witness ceremony.  The name of the “fair creature” destined to be my companion through the “journey of life” is Jeanette Eola Pope. She has been unfortunate in having to give up both of her parents.  She has one brother and three or four sisters  - the family is of high standing in society – what might be termed “the first circle” A description I believe I gave when I first informed you of the fact. She will doubtless prove to be all that I could wish in fulfilling the duties of a loving and faithful wife. I have not yet enlisted for the war, but I find the temptation hard to resist.”

In another letter dated June 24, 1862 he wrote “My furlough will be out next Sunday and I must “away to camps” you may be somewhat surprised to hear me say that I am going to camp= but I know have nothing that bind me to stay any longer at home= After visiting you my wife continued to grow worse and on the 20^th she died and her happy spirit winged its flight to realms of eternal bliss where it will ever be at rest= She died so happy! Praying to God that she might receive her soul= Yes she was ____________ Christian= My dear sister – this is a dreadful bereavement indeed! May I have your sympathy and your prayers that I better be able to bear this dreadful trial.”  Jerry had enlisted as a private  in Co. A, 14^th Batallion, GA Volunteers on April 26, 1862.  After Jeanette’s death he rejoined his unit in Calhoun, GA. I found a letter he had written to his father, Moses Dumas, ( dated July 30, 1862) in which he stated, “I have for some weeks past intended writing you but somehow there has always been something to prevent my doing so= I have been sick with the measles for over two weeks and a pretty severe time I have had. I luckily got permission to stay at a private house where I received kind attention and am free from expense which is very important when you have the measles=I am improving slowly and hope by being prudent I will be well enough to return to camps in a week – all I need is time sufficient to recover my strength.                                   He also wrote Mattie on the same day, “I have promised myself often that I would write you though I have been absent only a little over one month. There is nothing at all of interest that I can think to write, But I naturally concluded that you felt some anxiety of mind in regard to my health, whereabouts &c_ Well my sister we are in a portion of the world that might not suit a poet very well but as I haven’t a poetical turn of mind     I can’t say that I am over delighted with the = we are quartered among the hills and mountains remote from civilization where we can hear nothing= neither can we see anything= The inhabitants are all poor but some of them are very kind. I have been very sick with the measles for over two weeks. I am not yet able to do duty but am mending slowly= I fortunately succeeded in getting a room at private house there the measles first broke out and I have been careful ever since not to expose myself and I think in a week or so I will be able to return to camp= You must excuse a short letter as I have bearly time to get this letter off- I will write again as soon as I can hear from you and will probably have something more interesting to write you. In Civil War records, it was recorded that Jerry Dumas died on August 30, 1862 at Camp Randolph in Gordon Co., GA.  I kept searching letters and I found this one,  “Dear Mrs. Ely I received yours the next day after my arrival home and have tried to answer it once before, but was unable to do so. I have been confined to my bed ever since I returned home with Typhoid fever. I write this in bed propped up with a chair and pillows. I am improving slowly and hope to be up soon. I would like to give you a full detail of your brother’s sickness and death but I feel unable to do so in this. But I say to you in relation to his last hours my impression is that he had a triumphant death. The nearer death approached him the happier he appeared. When I get ready to back to my company I will try to spend a day with you as I suppose you want to hear a full account of his sickness. Yours truly, T.J. Graves.    I was so amazed that I had in my possession, letters over 150 years old,  that had solved this mystery. Fast forward to July 2012, looking on findagrave.com,  I found Jeanette and Jerry’s graves. They were buried in the old Perry City cemetery. I traveled to the cemetery, found their graves, along with the tiny grave of  J. Dumas infant.. I can only suppose that Jeanette died in childbirth along with the baby.

*In my possession are more than 150 letters written by my great great grandparents Martha Frances Dumas and Marcus Bethune Ely. "A Just and Holy Cause?" containing the letters was published by Mercer University Press in 2016. 

Jeanette Pope Dumas

Jere Dumas Infant

Jeremiah Jackson Dumas

Evergreen Cemetery

Perry, GA